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Allentown mayor convicted, must step down

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The project to replace the long-closed North Washington Street Bridge is now being &#8220;fast-tracked&#8221; by the state, officials say.</p><p>PennDOT scheduled preliminary field work to start in late spring or early summer, years ahead of the originally planned 2021 review, city leaders said Thursday.</p><p>Mayor Tony George said it was a collaborative effort that moved up the review. He credited his administration, state Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, councilman Mike Merritt and residents and businesses in the North End neighborhood for their help.</p><p>&#8220;The safety of our residents is our top priority. The goal of reopening the North Washington Street Bridge, and reducing emergency response times, is now much closer,&#8221; the mayor said in a prepared statement.</p><p>Yudichak said the project has benefited because of the state and city partnership.</p><p>&#8220;With Mayor George&#8217;s announcement that the North Washington Street Bridge project will be fast-tracked, our progress continues to rebuild the city&#8217;s public infrastructure network in neighborhoods throughout Wilkes-Barre,&#8221; Yudichak said in a statement. &#8220;A great public-to-public partnership between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Wilkes-Barre has enabled major infrastructure projects that enhance public safety, like the North Washington Street Bridge and Solomon Creek restoration, move more rapidly toward completion.&#8221;</p><p>The city closed the bridge in October 2013 after an inspection found that steel support girders dislodged from the main girders, causing the bridge deck to sag. Vehicles and pedestrians have had to detour around the bridge. A rail line that runs underneath the bridge is still active.</p><p>City Director of Operations Butch Frati said a mix of federal, state and local agencies will participate in scoping work that looks at, among other things, possible contamination and environmental issues, right of way and property acquisition. He added that the active rail line poses other questions such as whether the elevation of the rail bed has to be changed or the tracks relocated.</p><p>All of that information will be considered when designing the new structure and setting a start date, Frati said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what&#8217;s going to be determined through the scoping,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The most recent budgeted number for the project is approximately $2.3 million, with the federal government paying 80 percent, said Frati. There&#8217;s a remote chance the city won&#8217;t have to contribute any money. But most likely it will either be 5, 15 or 20 percent, he said.</p><p>The city plans to hire Alfred Benesch and Company to begin preliminary engineering and design work once the testing is completed and results disclosed. The Chicago, Ill.-based consulting engineering firm has a local office in Hazleton and has also been contracted through the state to conduct annual bridge inspections throughout the city.</p><p>Councilman Merrit, whose District E includes the bridge, regularly inquired at city council meetings about the status of the project and said he made a pain of himself to ensure it was not forgotten. &#8220;I&#8217;m thrilled it&#8217;s going to be done,&#8221; Merritt said.</p><p>&#8220;In my opinion, the bridge is closed way too long now.&#8221;</p><p>It wasn&#8217;t because of the city that the project has been delayed, but when you&#8217;re dependent upon outside funding, &#8220;you&#8217;re kind of at their mercy,&#8221; Merritt said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre city officials said the review of what&#8217;s involved in replacing the North Washington Street Bridge that&#8217;s been closed since October 2013 has been expedited by three years and will start in late spring or early summer.  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_TTL030118NWashingtonBridge1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre city officials said the review of what&#8217;s involved in replacing the North Washington Street Bridge that&#8217;s been closed since October 2013 has been expedited by three years and will start in late spring or early summer.  </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Preliminary work on WB bridge replacement to begin in months, not years